


The Winter’s Bounty

by B_Radley



Series: Rarities [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Developing Relationship, Friendship/Love, Game of Thrones: Alderaan, Gen, Growing Up, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 04:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14686815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_Radley/pseuds/B_Radley
Summary: A needed conversation on a winter’s evening.





	The Winter’s Bounty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SLWalker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SLWalker/gifts).



> Happy Birthday!
> 
> Not my universe, with some of my OCs; thanks for letting me play. All mistakes are mine.

Maul watches the dying winter’s sun as he stands on the deck of the cabin. His eyes fall on a rock, uncovered by the light snow that had started in the late afternoon and continued through the early dinner. He walks over to the stairs and gingerly walks down to the rock. He removes his glove; running his fingertips over the slight discoloration. A sparkling dust arises from his touch. He smiles slightly as he brings the residue to his nose, then to his lips. The smile grows as he catalogs the way that the dust caresses his senses; fading as the remnant of the fairy fungus disappears—a remnant of the fall’s bounty and a reminder of the winter’s slumber.

He looks back at the common area of the largest cabin. He sees Dani’s face split in laughter at something that Meglann is saying. Both young women are resting after their misadventure of the ‘ski lesson.’ His remaining heart increases its rhythm slightly as Dani’s purple eyes glance outside. He closes his eyes as he recalls the touch of her lips on his, the feel of her hair under his hands.

She had sat next to him during dinner, laughing and joking with him as if nothing had happened. _Well, not exactly as if nothing had happened_. Her hand had sought his under the table and had held onto it in an easy grip.

He had caught himself looking away whenever Breha had caught his gaze. Her smile and her knowing eyes had been ever-present as Dani had looked up at him. He closes his eyes, remembering Breha’s slight nod.

He tried not to interpret the look, even though Dani had entered several of their conversations, while lying awake together, waiting for Bail to waken. A tight grin plays over his lips as remembers Dani speaking of the ‘shovel’ talk with the Queen.

Maul watches as Bail, Breha, and Obi-Wan join the two young women around the conversation pit in front of the fire. Breha produces a pack of sabacc cards and a box of chips as laughter rises in four-part harmony.

He turns back to the the dimming light of the woods. His sharp eyesight catches a movement along the trail. His eyes narrow at size of the displacement of the branches. Molon-bears had been sighted in the area of the resort. Maul smiles. He had never seen the large omnivores; rumored to be skittish around humans. _Nothing like science to keep your mind off of a possible mistake._

Maul takes up a chem-torch and begins to walk down the trail. His practiced eyes look for any sign of the animal along the trail. His eyes instead lock on two sets of footprints marking the remaining snow on the trail. A tiny bit of his Force-sense tingles with recognition, in stereo, of another Force-user. He immediately tightens his own shields. He has not gone far before he hears indistinct noises, coming from a clearing. He stops short as he sees the two figures standing in the low light.

Two figures wrapped in each other’s arms, holding each other tightly. As he turns to go, he notices two things. His eyes first fall on the tall peak of the slightly smaller figure’s fur-lined hood. Actually, double peaks with tiny pom-poms on each tip. He smiles with recognition.

The other; he notices the other figure’s hands on Ahsoka’s cheeks, as they both gaze at each other. He has fully turned and is walking up the path when he hears a soft voice.

“Please. Don’t go.”

Maul’s eyes widen, then narrow as he realizes that the voice is not the one he had expected to speak those words. A deeper voice, with a slight drawl that he had sometimes heard in Dani’s voice. Especially when she was angry—thankfully not at him.

He turns warily and walks up closer to the pair. Neither breaks away from the other. He takes a deep breath, closing himself off to whatever anger that Croft is ready to send his way.

He notices that Ahsoka taps Croft on the forehead three times, a slight version of the Smirk he has come to know on the young woman’s face. Croft grins in what can only be a sheepish manner, if Maul is correct in his analysis of the expressions of any human not named Organa, or possibly, Kenobi.

Croft turns and faces Maul, releasing Ahsoka, except for an easy grip of her hand. Something passes along his face. Maul narrows his eyes further, wondering what the expression means, when he realizes. Croft gives a quick glance back to the young woman, then focuses on Maul, his grip tightening on her hand. The only point of physical contact between the two.

Croft takes a deep breath. “I realize, Lord Maul, that I’ve been a bit of an ass—,” he starts. He stops at a slight _ahem_ from Ahsoka, the Smirk growing. “Okay, a complete ass, to you.

“I could give a million excuses, but the fact remains that you deserve better; you’ve only been patient with me.” He looks away, then down at Ahsoka. The Smirk has vanished from her face, replaced by a warm, encouraging smile. “You’ve been a friend to two people who are very dear to me; something I’ve neglected.” He looks down the trail at the cabin as he pauses.

Maul nods. “There’s nothing to forgive, Master Jedi. I can’t imagine what a Jedi might’ve gone through during the plague; it was bad enough here on Alderaan with Master Kenobi.”

Croft turns back to him. “Please don’t call me that, milord. I may have been Knighted, but I certainly don’t know if I feel like a Jedi. The same goes for that other damned title that’s fallen into my lap.”

After a moment, Maul raises the right side of his mouth. “I understand the feeling, Croft,” he says. He takes a deep breath. “Taliesin.”

Ahsoka’s familiar expression returns. “Wow, maybe you two should be holding hands,” she says. She squeaks a bit as Croft shoves her slightly, his hip intersecting with hers. Maul smiles at the interplay between the two.

Croft’s grin fades as he focuses on Maul again. “I have to leave Alderaan for a bit. A certain pirate crew in the Outer Rim that I’ve dealt with before, may have a lead on a sighting of Master Ti. I know it’s a long shot, but I have to follow up.”

“Better not tell Dani that you’re going to be around Lassa. She might hurt you,” Ahsoka says.

Maul’s eyebrow raises as he tries to imagine anyone who might engender that reaction in Dani Faygan. Croft catches his expression. “Yeah. I know. Welcome to my world. It takes a special skill to make Daaineran hold a grudge. But, Lassa Rhayme has that skill in bucket-loads.” He smiles. “Of course Senior Inspector Faygan has that same skill-set, as well.”

Croft sobers. “I’m pretty sure that I don’t have to ask this; and the Force forbid that I should even imply that Lady Tano here needs someone to look after her, but I would appreciate you continuing to help Obi-Wan train her.” He reaches up and touches her cheek as the blue eyes start to flash. “She is marginally skilled and useful in a brawl,” he starts, his eye dropping in a wink to Maul, as he dodges the elbow to his ribs, “but she could use more training. She has a good foundation in the Corellian Laughing Murder—Dani has added more. But I want her to learn as much as she can. Staff, hand-to-hand, whatever. I want her to be able to survive if she can’t fight with her sabers.”

 _Or the Force_ , Maul thinks, hearing the unspoken thoughts underlying Croft’s words. “I would be honored. She is a good student, when you bypass the stubbornness. Who do I have thank for that?” he asks dryly.

“I have no clue. I think it’s genetic,” Croft says, avoiding her eyes.

“You have to ask?” comes a warm voice from behind him. All of them are inundated with the trademark warmth; warmth that has nothing to do with the temperature of the air. He feels her arm go about his. He realizes that Meglann is supporting her on the other side.

Maul manages to remain on his feet at the dazzling smile sent in his direction. “We’re about to all experience the skill at Fazik that is Mazi Organa. She requests all of your presence, so that her triumph will only be greater,” Dani says, naming a traditional board game on Alderaan. Her purple eyes focus on Croft. “But first, the Queen and her mother would like to speak with you alone, your Eminence,” she says.

Maul watches as Croft blanches, taking a step back. “You, uh, know what it’s about?”

“Nope,” Meglann says. “I didn’t see a shovel or a wood-chipper anywhere, so I’ve no clue.”

Croft takes a breath into his lungs, then starts to shuffle forward. Ahsoka looks up at him, as she follows, still holding his hand. “Don’t worry, Bait. I’ve already had the ‘talk’ with them. Something about using protection.”

Maul is treated to the sight of Taliesin Croft, Jedi Knight and Covenant of Corellia, stopping, his green eyes widening in panic. “I’m sorry, Runt. I—,” he starts. He is silenced by a long finger on his lips. “Hush. We haven’t done anything. We’re both adults. When you get back we’ll see where we are.” She lets him off the hook. “I was kidding. We didn’t talk about protection. We talked about the heart.” She looks at Dani. “Had a few conversations on that with your cousin.”

Maul, Dani, and Meglann turn their backs on the two not-Jedi as they walk. Maul closes his sensitive hearing as he hears whispered words. Words muffled by skin.

He looks down at Dani, who returns his gaze with no hint of fear. No hint of fear for the future, whatever it may bring. She pulls her arm tighter around him as she limps back to the cabin.

He focuses on the warmth. The warmth of his world, and of the people on it.


End file.
